


Hand in Hand

by Incandescentflower



Series: Finding Their Way [6]
Category: 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Kurosawa's birthday, M/M, Some general silliness, Stationary Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29703963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Incandescentflower/pseuds/Incandescentflower
Summary: Where Adachi tries to plan a surprise for Kurosawa's birthday, Kurosawa keeps catching him being sneaky and everyone gets a delightful surprise in the end.
Relationships: Adachi Kiyoshi/Kurosawa Yuichi
Series: Finding Their Way [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030785
Comments: 8
Kudos: 37
Collections: CheriMaho White Day Gift Exchange 2021





	Hand in Hand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cajuncherrybee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cajuncherrybee/gifts).



> In response to the prompt: Adachi planning to surprise Kurosawa on his birthday (but failing miserably cos Adachi gets too excited and/or can't keep secrets from Kuro).
> 
> I hope this is what you had in mind cajuncherrybee.
> 
> Thank you to Funya for reading this through for characterization and plot feedback. And to [Tenillypo](/users/Tenillypo/) and [Wildflowersoul](/users/wildflowersoul/) for plot brainstorming and beta.

Kurosawa had been hoping for more time alone with Adachi. They always found _some_ time. Often evenings together having dinner or nights together at each other’s apartments. Sometimes when Kurosawa was very lucky, he got whole, entire weekend days. But it wasn’t typical and it certainly wasn’t enough.

Life got in the way. Tsuge would need advice about Minato or Kurosawa’s sister would have another crisis with her boyfriend.

Kurosawa’s birthday was in a month. All he wanted was some quality alone time with Adachi.

Adachi had been subtle about their relationship milestones so far, but he still had always recognized them. He continued to be very private about their relationship and although Kurosawa often wanted to shout it from the rooftops, it also felt special, like it was just between them and so that was how he tried to think of it. 

He wasn’t sure if a night away would be too much, but all he could do was ask.

So one morning, when they had not even gotten out of bed, with Kurosawa’s arms still wrapped around Adachi’s waist and his back pressed firmly against Kurosawa’s chest, he made the suggestion. 

“What are you doing on the 25th?”

“What?” Adachi asked, coughing.

Kurosawa pulled back a bit, slightly concerned Adachi had choked on something.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Adachi nodded, “Mmm.”

Kurosawa leaned forward, relaxing back into Adachi again, pressing his forehead between Adachi's shoulder blades. “It’s my birthday and I thought maybe we could do something special. Maybe go out of town?”

“Oh, uh…” Adachi was suddenly rigid. 

“Is it too much?” Kurosawa asked, his heart sinking.

“No, no!” Adachi said, reaching back and squeezing Kurosawa’s arm. “I mean, it’s just…”

“What is it then?” Kurosawa urged Adachi to toward him, pulling him by his waist to face him.

He turned willingly, as he often did whenever Kurosawa guided him, but his gaze was cast down, his long lashes helping him hide. Seeing Adachi’s face for the first time that morning, Kurosawa was again struck by how gorgeous he was with his bedhead that Kurosawa had discovered was even _more_ disheveled first thing in the morning and his flushed cheeks, warmed from being snuggled under the blankets.

Kurosawa waited, watching.

“I…” Adachi stuttered. “I have something to do that day.”

Kurosawa was so very careful. “You do?” He trailed his thumb down Adachi’s face.

Adachi groaned. “Yes, and that is all I can say, okay?” He finally met Kurosawa’s eyes, his own pleading, asking Kurosawa to no longer press. So he wouldn’t.

“Okay,” he agreed and pulled Adachi into him so he could rest his chin in the crook of Adachi’s neck, a smile growing on his face as he wondered what Adachi was up to.

* * *

For the next week Kurosawa couldn’t help but try to figure out what it was that Adachi was planning. Subtlety was never one of Adachi’s strengths, which Kurosawa found extremely charming, but meant that almost everything looked like a clue.

Adachi was often clicking off tabs on his browser, or hiding his phone. He was clearly planning something, but Kurosawa still had no idea what it was.

Midweek, Kurosawa had been walking toward the conference room when he heard Rokkaku ask, “So when will the move happen?”

“End of the month,” Adachi said. “I need to get more boxes.”

“I can’t believe this is happening!” Rokkaku yelled out.

“Shhhh, Rokkaku. No one knows yet. You have to keep this to yourself. It’s a surprise.”

Trusting Rokkaku with a secret might be the most unwise decision Adachi had ever made. But wait, did this mean? Kurosawa had not wanted to push, but he had suggested that Adachi move in with him once. He clearly wasn’t ready then, but Kurosawa had said that he was welcome whenever he decided he was. Was Adachi’s surprise that he going to tell Kurosawa he was ready now? Was that what he was planning?

* * *

The following weeks just made Kurosawa more and more suspicious. Adachi had errands to run or chores to do that kept him busy. And he didn’t seem to want Kurosawa to come over to his apartment. It made Kurosawa’s insides stir up like he might explode from happiness. He tried to play it cool, but even Adachi was starting to notice. 

“Do you think this room might need some rearranging?” Kurosawa asked one night while they were lounging on his couch, Adachi’s head propped up on Kurosawa’s legs, the rest of his body splayed out across its length. 

Adachi looked up from his phone and then around the room. “I like this room,” Adachi said. “How do you want to rearrange it?”

“Maybe it needs space for a desk? Or some book shelves? Wouldn’t it be nice to have some space for you to work here?”

Adachi tilted his head back to look up at Kurosawa. His face was completely flushed, eyes wide and open. “Well,” he stammered. “If you want to…” Adachi sat up. “What’s with the grin?”

“It’s nothing." Kurosawa's face hurt from smiling. "I just like you here.”

Kurosawa was quite possibly the happiest man in the world.

* * *

“I can meet the movers, if you can pick it up,” Adachi hissed into the phone. Kurosawa was standing only a few feet behind him. He had stopped up short when he saw Adachi hunched over, holding his hand over the phone as if he could somehow guard against his words escaping. 

Adachi swiveled in his chair and jumped, throwing the phone up into the air, scrambling to catch it before it dropped to the floor. He pulled it back to his ear and said, “I’ve gotta go,” and placed the phone face first down on his desk.

Kurosawa approached cautiously, his best innocent look plastered to his face. “Everything okay?” He asked.

“Oh,” Adachi said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yes, just meeting Tsuge later.” His eyes grew wide and he smacked his hand over his mouth.

“Ah,” Kurosawa said, leaning in. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I uh…” Adachi said, scrubbing his hands through his hair, making the back almost completely stand on end. “I…, ahhh, I'm helping him.”

“Anything I can help with?” Kurosawa asked, close enough he knew Adachi could feel his breath on his neck.

“No, no!” Adachi shook his head frantically. “He’s helping me too. We’re all set.”

“Oh?” Kurosawa asked, sitting down on Adachi’s desk. “What is he helping you with?”

Adachi was now biting his lip. He was pale, like he might keel over at any moment. “Kurosawa stop!” 

“Stop what?” He asked. Kurosawa felt a tiny bit badly. He knew Adachi wanted it to be a surprise, but he was so excited, the sooner he told Kurosawa the sooner Adachi would be with him every day and night. Forever.

“Stop asking questions! It’s a surprise!”

“Ahh,” Kurosawa said nodding. “I see.” Adachi was so adorably determined. Kurosawa could let him keep this up. It was only one more day. “Will I get my time with Adachi after?” He asked, an eyebrow raised. 

Adachi grinned. “Yes, of course. I’ll gladly give you whatever you want, Kurosawa.” 

Little did Adachi know he already had.

* * *

On Kurosawa’s birthday, Adachi was mysteriously busy that day. He mumbled something about errands and asked Kurosawa to meet him at his apartment in the evening. This was it. 

Kurosawa’s hands were shaking a bit when he slipped the thin box into the pocket of his inner jacket. Adachi asked him to “dress up,” which for Kurosawa meant some brighter colors, a cobalt blue tie, Adachi’s favorite, a black suit he wore for formal events. 

Kurosawa knew it was too much. It was his birthday after all, so giving Adachi a present might not go over very well. But really it was for both of them, wasn’t it? The heavy stock cards with their initials on the front, their names and addresses printed on the return envelopes. It was just a handful of blank cards they could use to send notes to friends, to tell them they were now sharing their life together. Kurosawa could barely contain his happiness.

When Kurosawa arrived at his place, Adachi was buttoning his shirt. “Sorry, sorry!” he said, as he smoothed it out. “Just let me get my jacket.”

They stepped inside together as Adachi grabbed his coat and slipped it on. He looked so very put together and handsome. Kurosawa would have normally soaked it all in, taken in every inch of his beauty, but his attention was stolen by Adachi’s apartment. It was as it had always been. No sign of him moving. No sign of anything different on the horizon. It left Kurosawa feeling uneasy. 

Kurosawa turned it all over in his mind on the cab ride. All the pieces. Could he have gotten it wrong?

“You aren’t even going to ask where we’re going?” Adachi smiled bright as he took Kurosawa’s hand and slid their fingers together.

“Oh, uh, where are we going?” He responded, not looking at Adachi. He couldn’t stand it if he was wrong. 

“Still a surprise,” Adachi beamed.

All of his feelings were roiling inside him. He wanted to keep them down, keep them controlled. Kurosawa was very good at this. But he didn’t like being that way with Adachi. Adachi was the one person he could be honest with. The one person he could show his fears. He couldn’t wait. “Adachi?” 

“Yes, Kurosawa?” Adachi asked, leaning toward him.

“Why were you gathering boxes at work?”

“Oh, ah, I was helping Tsuge,” he said, rubbing the back of Kurosawa’s hand with his other palm. “He’s moving to a new place.”

“Oh,” Kurosawa said, feeling his shoulders slump. “Why didn’t you mention it?”

Adachi looked down as he stroked Kurosawa’s hand. “It was a surprise for Minato. And Tsuge was helping me with something too. I didn’t want to slip up and tell you about your birthday.” Adachi smacked his forehead. “Damn it!”

“Ah,” Kurosawa said, placing his other hand over Adachi’s, layered together, solid. Kurosawa needed to remember that.

Adachi paid for the cab and they got out. It was the restaurant they went to the night Rokkaku dragged them all out to celebrate his first sale. 

“Come on,” Adachi said, offering his hand to Kurosawa, pulling him out onto the street. They made their way inside, Adachi grabbing Kurosawa’s forearm and pulling him out onto the roof. The entire area was covered in a canopy of lights, tables spread about erratically.

“Surprise!” A chorus of voices greeted them. “Happy Birthday, Kurosawa!”

Kurosawa’s heart was beating a mile a minute. There were only a handful of people there, but it was still startling to see that Adachi had brought together their friends and coworkers. He had arranged a party for Kurosawa. That was something public and significant. It soothed the hurt a bit. 

“Aneki?” He stuttered, as she stepped forward and greeted him. “Adachi, you invited her?”

“Mmm,” he nodded, smiling. 

“Happy Birthday, Yuichi,” she said. “Adachi can be sneakier than you thought, huh?” 

After Kurosawa had greeted everyone, the group mixed and chattered. Kurosawa did his best to be sociable, but Adachi kept looking at him, kept meeting his eyes. Kurosawa nodded, wanting to reassure him, but he felt the mask slipping. He was happy that Adachi was willing to do something so public for him. It was something Kurosawa had definitely wanted. It was just not all he had wanted. 

He had allowed himself to imagine waking up in the morning with Adachi, going to sleep at night with Adachi, sharing all their little life moments together. It felt as though he suddenly lost that.

Kurosawa was preparing to sit down to eat when he was pulled to the other side of the rooftop. Kurosawa tripped after Adachi as he hauled him by the arm and around the corner. When he finally steadied himself, Adachi asked breathlessly, “What’s wrong, Yuichi?”

Oh. He had not been hiding it well. Kurosawa sighed. He almost protested. Almost brushed it off. But if Adachi knew he was upset and they didn’t talk about it, he would be miserable the rest of the evening and Kurosawa really was grateful for this celebration. He didn’t want to ruin it.

“I’m sorry, Kiyoshi,” he looked up at him. He took out the thin box and handed it to Adachi. “I thought the surprise was something else.”

“Why are you giving me a present on your birthday?” Adachi asked. 

“Just open it,” he said, sighing again. Adachi pulled the top of the box and fingered through the paper inside. “I thought, I thought you were going to tell me you were the one moving.”

Adachi blinked down at the box for a moment. He seemed almost frozen until he shut his eyes and let out a staggered breath. Kurosawa stepped forward as a tear glistened down Adachi’s cheek. “You are so stubborn,” Adachi said, laughing. “And impatient.”

“Yes,” Kurosawa said, nodding, tears welling up in his eyes. “I know that.”

“Did you think I didn’t have a gift for you tonight?” Adachi asked. 

“Besides the party?” 

“Of course, besides the party.” Adachi pulled a box out of his coat. “I was going to wait until everyone left. It seemed right to give you these in the place where I realized I was starting to have feelings for you.” He held the box out in between them. “I love my pen. But you said you gave me a pen because you thought I wouldn’t be comfortable wearing a ring. I wanted you to know I was ready.”

Kurosawa froze. Was this...could this be?

Adachi went to open the box and shifted his weight, crouching. Oh god, he was going to kneel. But as Adachi moved, the box seemed to slip and Adachi shifted to catch it. Kurosawa’s hands darted out quickly, grabbing a hold of Adachi as he went reeling, catching him in his arms.

Adachi smiled up at him, and held open the box. Two glimmering rings side by side. “I am ready to move in, to wear these, to go to get a partnership certificate whenever we can, tomorrow even. I want to have it all, Yuichi.”

Kurosawa, still holding Adachi, pulled him close, pressing their lips together, his body trembling. It was more than he could have ever hoped for in a lifetime. He could barely breathe.

“Adachi-san!” A shout interrupted their tender moment. “Is Adachi-san choking?”

Kurosawa looked over toward the commotion. Rokkaku was running over, trailed behind by every other person in their party. 

“Do we need to call a doctor?” Rokkaku gasped as the others stood there, staring at them blankly and then quickly looking away. Tsuge covered Minato’s eyes with one of his hands. 

“I think,” Fujisaki said with a warm smile, “they could use a minute.” She tugged Rokkaku away as the others returned to their seats with averted eyes. 

“Kiyoshi,” Kurosawa said, helping him to return to his feet after the others had left them alone again. “Are you sure about this? I know it isn’t something you ever really wanted for yourself.”

Adachi raised his hand to the side of Kurosawa’s face. “I never knew I could want it. I thought about what was holding me back. Whether it was our friends, work, our families or society. And what I realized was that it doesn’t matter to me if they're all comfortable with our relationship, if it isn’t what we want it to be. I want to protect your happiness Kurosawa. I want you to have everything you have ever wanted. It’s what you deserve. Because I love you with all my heart. And because it’s what I want too. All I ever want is you.”

Kurosawa pulled Adachi close into another embrace. They stood there quietly holding each other as their group continued on with dinner on the other side of the roof.

“Come on,” Adachi said, pulling back and holding out his hand.

They walked, hands linked, over to the tables. Adachi cleared his throat and said, “Thank you for coming to be with us on this special day, the day we were blessed with the birth of Kurosawa Yuichi.” He smiled at Kurosawa. The look on Adachi’s face, him putting their relationship on display this way, Adachi speaking in front of this group, it all made Kurosawa’s entire body flush.

“Today we will also be marking the beginning of our lives together. Thank you for being here with us to celebrate.” Adachi’s face was also pink, but his voice was steady as he held up their intertwined hands.

Rokkaku's eyebrows furrowed. “Wait, I don’t get…”

“Shhh,” Minato said, patting his shoulder.

“I’ll tell you later,” Fujisaki said, putting her finger to her lips to quiet him. 

And all the people Kurosawa loved gave them best wishes and congratulations. Kurosawa was so filled with joy he could burst with it. He stood by the man he loved, squeezing Adachi’s hand in his as everyone gathered around them. No more holding back. 

From that day forward they would share their lives in every way possible, hand in hand, together.

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow this is my 20th Cherry Magic fic. This fandom has been such a bright light during such a difficult year. Thank you to everyone I've met who is also hyper-focused on this show and these two sappy, lovable characters and have been willing to talk about them endlessly.
> 
> My social is on Tumblr @ [Incandescentflower](https://incandescentflower.tumblr.com/) or Twitter @ [IncandescentFlower](https://twitter.com/flower_incandes) if you want to find me.


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